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Žofín Palace

building in Prague

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 2, 2026
Entity authorityQ12043620 ↗
Source-derived summary

Žofín Palace (Czech pronunciation: [ˈʒofiːn]) is a Neo-Renaissance building in Prague, in the Czech Republic. It is a cultural centre, a venue for concerts, balls, conferences and exhibitions.

It is situated on Slovanský ostrov (Slavonic Island), an island in the Vltava river in New Town, Prague.

History

The island in the Vltava river was formed in the 18th century. Damaged by floods in 1784, it was protected with a wall and planted with trees. In 1830, the island, then known as Barvířský ostrov (Dyer's Island), was bought by Václav Novotný, a miller. He created a Neo-Renaissance building here in 1836–1837; it was named after Princess Sophie (Žofie in Czech), mother of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The single-storey building had a concert hall and social hall, and was opened in 1837 with a ball.

The Prague Slavic Congress was held here in 1848. In 1925, to commemorate the event, the island was renamed Slovanský ostrov.

In 1884 the City of Prague bought the island, including the palace which was rebuilt as a two-storey building.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Žofín Palace” as building in Prague. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Žofín, Palace and building.

Editorial reviewA strong orientation record where physical form, institutional use and historical geography need to be read together. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1784, 1830, 1836, 1837—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1836. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Žofín, Palace and building providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Žofín Palace”, the useful work is to connect “building in Prague” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q12043620. Authority coordinates are 50.079, 14.413. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1784, 1830, 1836 and 1837.

Critical limits

A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Žofín Palace”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Žofín Palace primary sources, Žofín Palace archive and Žofín research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Žofín Palace”?
  2. What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Žofín Palace” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.